Card edge connector assemblies are known for providing electrical connections between a printed circuit board and printed circuit cards having either a 32 bit capacity or a 16 bit capacity. Known connector assemblies include a housing having first and second sidewalls with a cavity therebetween for accepting a contact edge of the printed circuit card. Each of the sidewalls of the connector housing is formed with slots therein, each slot receiving a beam type electrical contact having a contact point that extends into the cavity so that when the printed circuit card is inserted into the cavity, the connector contacts exert a force on the card contacts that is normal to the plane of the card contacts. In order to accommodate either a 32 bit or 16 bit capacity card edge, connector contacts having high contact points and low contact points are employed wherein the contacts are arranged in a staggered relationship along each sidewall such that contacts with high contact points are positioned adjacent to contacts with low contact points and visa versa. For a 16 bit capacity card, the card contacts engage only the high contact points of the connector and for a 32 bit capacity card, the card contacts engage both the high and the low contact points of the connector.
When the contact card is inserted into the cavity of the connector housing, a force is exerted on the connector contacts tending to move the contacts in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the card. This force also creates a moment that tends to rotate the contacts. In known connector assemblies the forces opposing the force created by the card are concentrated in the base of each of the contacts creating stress therein.
Further, the housing for known card edge connector assemblies typically include a retaining member extending outwardly from the base of the housing wherein the retaining member is accepted into an aperture in the printed circuit board. The retaining member is such as to provide an interference fit with the sidewall of the printed circuit board aperture so as to maintain the printed circuit board and the connector together during wave soldering. Known retaining members have included a solid cantilever member with a cross section that is circular, rectangular, etc. These retaining members create a frictional force in a direction opposite to the direction of the withdrawal path of the retaining member from the printed circuit board aperture. Generally, the greatest stress occurs in the base of the retaining member adjacent to the base of the housing, the stress often resulting in fractures or breaks when the retaining member is withdrawn from the printed circuit board aperture. Another type of retaining member has a circular cross section with a pie shaped segment removed therefrom. When this type of retaining member is inserted into the printed circuit board aperture, the pie shaped opening is compressed creating a torsional stress within the retaining member that in turn creates a frictional force in a direction opposite to the direction of the withdrawal path of the retaining member. Again, because this type of retaining member is fairly rigid, fractures and breaks occur when the retaining member is withdrawn from the printed circuit board aperture.